IBM to build green data centre

The US$12.4 million, 6,000-square-foot facility will run a mixture of IBM BladeCenter, IBM Power 575 and an IBM z10 systems.

At its heart will be a new electricity generating system that uses natural gas-fuelled microturbine engines to generate power and provide cooling for the computer servers, which will mean it can operate off the main power grid.

"Energy use is becoming the largest single cost in operating data centres --with US$2 billion per year wasted nationally due to inefficiencies -- and IBM is dedicated to helping customers reduce electricity consumption to benefit their businesses and the environment," says Vijay Lund, vice president for development and manufacturing operations in IBM's Systems and Technology Group.

"IBM is joining with Syracuse University to address the end-to-end data centre infrastructure, from analytical modeling and simulation to electricity generation to cooling systems to the operation and management of servers, in order to develop the greenest, most efficient data centre possible."

The centre is being set up as part of IBM's 'Smarter planet' initiative to showcase technologies to be used in other areas of the market. Syracuse University will conduct research and analysis of the data centre's power and cooling technologies and build models to monitor, estimate, plan and control energy use.

"This project yields benefits in every direction imaginable -- just as Scholarship in Action aspires to do," says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor.

"It's a perfect example of how effective cross-sector partnerships can be. IBM, NYSERDA and SU each are bringing their strengths to the table to gain vital insight into solving crucial aspects of the intensifying global problem of increasing energy consumption that none of us could achieve separately. Best of all, the solutions we find ultimately will serve the public good."